In about a week or so, elementary school aged kids all over will be having their holiday party. Kids will be making magic reindeer food (if you don’t know what that is yet…don’t worry, you will soon enough and DON’T forget to sprinkle it on your lawn) and you will be signing up to bring something to the class party. Why not bring these super cute chocolate Rudolph cupcakes?!?

Chocolate Rudolph Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup Flour
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened  Cocoa Powder
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 3 TBS Unsalted Butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs, room temp
• 3/4 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Whole Milk

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 3 cup Powder Sugar
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 bag Pretzels
• 1 bag Small Vanilla Wafers
• 1 container Large Candy Eyes
• 1 bag of Red M&M’s

Chocolate Cupcake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt, stirring together. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl.
4. Beat the eggs one at a time, after each addition, then add in the vanilla.
5. Alternating, add the flour mixture with the milk, beating well.
6. Fill the lined cupcake tins 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
9. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting Directions

1. Beat the softened butter alone until smooth.
2. Add cocoa and powder sugar alternately with heavy cream into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture.
3. If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream. If it is too thin, add more powder sugar.
4. Scoop frosting into a large pastry bag with a frosting tip. Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push frosting to the tip.
5. Frost the cupcakes.
6. Refer to the pictures below to assemble the cupcakes. Use a dot of frosting to glue the red M&M’s on the wafer and to glue the eyes on.

 

If you wanted to, you could frost all the cupcakes and take them to the school so the kids could assemble their own Rudolph cupcakes! Every class my kids have ever been in has always done some sort of cupcake or cookie decorating as one of their stations at party. This is totally something they could do!!

 

I hope you have a great holiday season!

What’s your favorite holiday dessert?